2017 Daily Thoughts

Shalom, Welcome, Bienvenidos!

 

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KosherTorah on Government

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KosherTorah on Respect

 

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KosherTorah on Kabbalah

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KosherTorah on Dialogue

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KosherTorah on Love

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KosherTorah on "Who is Wise?"

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KosherTorah on Halakha (Torah Law)

 

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Consciousness

is a construct of the mind.

Perception

defines the parameters, thereof.

 

One who can expand perception

expands consciousness.

This is true in the realm

of the natural sciences.

So too is it true in the realm

of the supernatural arts.

 

The supernatural is not yet

measurable by science,

therefore, the supernatural

is not yet scientific.

For now that which is supernatural

is only an art,

and artistic beauty

is, or is not seen

in the eye of the beholder.

 

In order to explore the supernatural

one must expand one' perceptions

into the artistic realms.

One must open one's mind

to imagine beyond the boundaries

that present perceptions allow.

Going into the unknown

makes the unknown to be known.

This is how consciousness expands.

 

The unknown is called

the Great Darkness, the Great Nothing,

the Ayn, the Infinite.

True, one will never

reach the end of the infinite.

Yet, the only way to spread the light

is to take it into the darkness.

Only the one who fears not the dark

can penetrate it, with sexual passionate

and inseminate the dark with light.

This is how consciousness expands.

 

Passion is what drives imagination.

Sexual energy is what drives passion.

Imagination in thought, and deed

is driven by the foundation, Yesod.

Yesod is the path of ascent

that unites the body with its heart/soul.

This is the unity of

Tiferet and Malkhut,

the unity of the Holy One and His Shekhina.

This is the union brought about by Yesod.

This is the expansion of consciousness

that is brought about when passionate

unites the perceptions of the body,

with the perceptions of the heart.

This is the path led by imagination

into the unknown, and unseen realms,

into which light shines,

and where the coupling

of Abba and Imma

are discovered, embraced, and imitated.

 

Contemplate the path

and know the mission.

You are not free

to avoid your share.

Your darkness

awaits your light.

Your art awaits your expression.

Transform the supernatural

into the natural.

Transcend faith, and know for sure,

with the inner awareness

the expansion of consciousness

that unites the Heavenly lovers,

and their Earthly counterparts,

within the parts of each of our souls.

 

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Unseen mind, seen mind

heart and body,

these are the four human realms.

The mind is the soul,

the real you,

what you do know,

and what you do not know

about yourself.

The heart is your passion

that motivates you, and moves you.

The body is the shell, the form,

it is moved by all the forces within it.

 

The four human realms

reveal to us the four Divine realms

within us.

For there is no knowledge of God

other than through the four realms.

God is known through

the unconscious, the conscious mind,

the heart, and the body.

 

Seek God where He may be found.

Everywhere that you seek Him,

every place that you look

is experienced only within you,

within one of the four realms.

 

To find God is easy.

Look within.

Explore.

Discover.

There is nothing “out-there”

that you do not already have

inside you.

 

Stop being alone.

Stop being cut off.

Rejoin, reunite.

 

Seek the form, and you will find it.

Walk the Way,

and it will become known to you.

The form, and the Way are one.

God is found within them

even as they are found within you.

 

This is the secret of Torah

and observance.

Its message is for everyone.

For everything can be found

within everyone.

So bring out the good God from within

and all will be divine and good.
 

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I gaze within, and see.

Another gazes within, and sees not.

Why is this so?

 

Some who gaze within

know how to see

in the darkness.

Those who can see

that which cannot be seen

can see the light

even when it is concealed

in darkness.

Those who gaze into the darkness

and only see darkness

never discover the concealed light.

What can be done?

 

Where I think

is where I am.

If I think darkness

then darkness is all I will see,

even in the light.

If I think light

then light is all I will see

even in the darkness.

 

What there is to be seen

is a choice made by me.

All things are out there,

and all things are within.

It is I who chooses

what of the All to see.

I chose to see light,

or I chose to see darkness.

Choice and perception

is entirely in my own hands.

 

When visions appear in my mind,

they may come from either

the light, or the darkness.

How can I know one from the other?

Follow the rules of wisdom and logic,

and surrender your heart

to the knowledge of the mind!

 

Visions requires that

the head lead the heart.

The heart feels, but the head knows.

The light of the mind

shines into the the heart.

For the light of the heart

is the light of the moon.

The light of the mind

is the light of the sun.

Never let the moon

outshine the sun.

This is the natural truth

for understanding visions

and the language of the realm within.

 

Know this, and do this,

and the sun's light of the mind

will shine within you

dispelling darkness,

and bringing clarity.

In clarity will you gaze

into the darkness

and see within it

the hidden light.

 

Learn this lesson well.

 

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Shabat is the day of rest.

Yet Shabat is unlike a month

measured by the moon,

or like a year

measured by the sun.

For the Shabat,

there is no measure.

 

Shabat does not exist in the world

before it can first exist

within the human mind.

Shabat is rest for the soul.

The soul is within,

so too is Shabat within.

 

To properly observe Shabat

according to the ancient Way

one must learn many things.

The right Way of Shabat

is not a personal decision,

it is a collective one,

one that was made long ago,

and continues to be made

to this very day.

 

Often it is asked

where is God to be found?

The answer forever stays the same.

God is found within the box.

The square box, which is 4 by 4,

reveals the Way of Shabat.

The Way of Shabat

reveals its Creator,

in remembrance of creation.

 

Yet, with remembrance

comes responsibility.

Responsibility embraced

is freedom achieved.

This is so, in remembrance

of the exodus from Egypt.

And every time one goes free

and walks the 4 by 4 box

one remembers the ancient past

which is etched within one's very soul.

The Way of Shabat

aligns the human heart, and mind

with the heart and mind

of Mother Nature herself.

She is the Shekhina, the Divine Presence.

She is the Malkhut, the coming Kingdom

in which all shall be one, all shall be in peace,

all shall be Shabat.

Shabat shalom is not a wish,

it is a state of consciousness.

Embrace the one to know the other.

 

Live! Rest! Observe! Remember!

Know what must be done, and do it.

Transform, and know the inner, true Shabat.

 

And you will know, and you will have

Shabat Shalom.

 

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Work and prayer go together, always.

Work is performed by hand.

Prayer is performed by mind.

When mind and hand

are united with heart,

the three working together as one

manifest success!
 

Prayer is talking to God.

God is found within.

Therefore, prayer is inner communion.

 

God is all, and is in all.

All the universe

is but a manifestation

of the Divine Mind,

and the Divine Mind

is accessed through

the human mind.

Here now is the secret

to turn prayer

into action.

 

Gaze within.

See within that which you seek.

Create its image inside you.

Make it real.

Then say in your mind,

and with your words:

 

“I merge my mind

with the universal Mind,

the Active Being of all.

As I am a manifestation

of the Active Being,

and Universal Mind,

so too are my thoughts His thoughts,

and His thoughts my thoughts.

I merge my mind

with the Supernal, Active Being,

and I call upon the universe

to manifest the Thoughts

of the Supernal Mind

realized as they are

through my mind,

and my thoughts.

May the words of my mouth

and the thoughts of my heart

be acceptable before

the Supernal, Active Being,

Universal Mind, amen”

 

What you can see

is what can be.

Materialize that which is good.

Neutralize that which is bad.

Start with your mind,

merge with your heart,

and manifest into action

the best for yourself

and all others around you.

 

The power is in your hands,

your heart, and your mind.

Wield wisely the sacred sword!

Make it a good week.

 

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It is said that God, Torah and Man

are all one.

But, how can this be?

This can be,

simply because it is

what it is,

and is not what it is not.

 

To understand this sublime

secret of nature

we must first understand

the sublime secrets about ourselves.

 

God is the Creator of the universe.

Consciousness is the creator

of the human universe.

For no human being comprehends

anything about the universe

other than through consciousness.

God is the Universal consciousness.

As such God is the Soul of existence.

 

Each human soul

is a part of the great Universal soul.

This is the meaning of

man being created

in the Image of God.

In this way,

God and man are one.

The small reflects the great.
 

All of the Great that can be perceived

will be received

within the conscious mind of the small.

Thus God is always found within,

for there is no other place

wherein which man can find God.

 

Our path is always an internal one,

never an external one.

This is why science will never find God.

It may indeed find His fingerprints,

but it will never discover

His actual Hand,

all the more so

will science never see His Face.

For how can that

which by definition must look out

attempt to see that

which can only be seen within?

 

There is the path to inner vision.

We call this path Torah.

Others call it by many other names.

Names matter not,

for once we strip the path

of its slippery facade,

that smooth surface

that causes beginners to slip, and to fall.

the path is the same for all humanity.
 

There is Man on the outside,

and God on the inside,

the Path unites the two

and leads the Way

from the one to the other.

Thus, God, the Path and Man

are all one.

This is the secret of the Unity.
 

All is within,

and all one needs to do

is to see it, and be it.

This one of the many

secrets of the Torah.

Learn it well.

 

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The first act of the work week

is the creation of Light.

As it is for God,

so too must it be for us.

 

Before we commit our hands

to action,

we must first have light

to guide our minds, and hearts.

 

Think about what it is

that you want to do

before you do it.

Once you have thought it out

rationally, and clearly,

then pause,

and ask yourself,

how do I feel about this?

 

Know the difference

between what you think,

and what you feel.

Only when the two

are in complete harmony

should you then proceed

and act!

 

This is the secret of

a successful work week.

Put this advice to work for you,

and see how the blessings

of Heaven will shower down

upon the blessed works

of your hands.

 

Shine the inner Light.

Materialize it in your mind and heart.

Know the first step of creation.

Then pause, breathe, and act!

 

When you allow God inside you,

you will find that God will not stay there.

Rather, “He” will flow through you,

and from you,

bringing blessings of all kinds

to all things around you.

 

It all starts with the light.

So shine it brightly inside you.

This is the way to make for yourselves

a Shavuah Tov!

 

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Consciousness

is a construct of the mind.

Perception

defines the parameters, thereof.

 

One who can expand perception

expands consciousness.

This is true in the realm

of the natural sciences.

So too is it true in the realm

of the supernatural arts.

 

The supernatural is not yet

measurable by science,

therefore, the supernatural

is not yet scientific.

For now that which is supernatural

is only an art,

and artistic beauty

is, or is not seen

in the eye of the beholder.

 

In order to explore the supernatural

one must expand one' perceptions

into the artistic realms.

One must open one's mind

to imagine beyond the boundaries

that present perceptions allow.

Going into the unknown

makes the unknown to be known.

This is how consciousness expands.

 

The unknown is called

the Great Darkness, the Great Nothing,

the Ayn, the Infinite.

True, one will never

reach the end of the infinite.

Yet, the only way to spread the light

is to take it into the darkness.

Only the one who fears not the dark

can penetrate it, with sexual passionate

and inseminate the dark with light.

This is how consciousness expands.

 

Passion is what drives imagination.

Sexual energy is what drives passion.

Imagination in thought, and deed

is driven by the foundation, Yesod.

Yesod is the path of ascent

that unites the body with its heart/soul.

This is the unity of

Tiferet and Malkhut,

the unity of the Holy One and His Shekhina.

This is the union brought about by Yesod.

This is the expansion of consciousness

that is brought about when passionate

unites the perceptions of the body,

with the perceptions of the heart.

This is the path led by imagination

into the unknown, and unseen realms,

into which light shines,

and where the coupling

of Abba and Imma

are discovered, embraced, and imitated.

 

Contemplate the path

and know the mission.

You are not free

to avoid your share.

Your darkness

awaits your light.

Your art awaits your expression.

Transform the supernatural

into the natural.

Transcend faith, and know for sure,

with the inner awareness

the expansion of consciousness

that unites the Heavenly lovers,

and their Earthly counterparts,

within the parts of each of our souls.

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

Unseen mind, seen mind

heart and body,

these are the four human realms.

The mind is the soul,

the real you,

what you do know,

and what you do not know

about yourself.

The heart is your passion

that motivates you, and moves you.

The body is the shell, the form,

it is moved by all the forces within it.

 

The four human realms

reveal to us the four Divine realms

within us.

For there is no knowledge of God

other than through the four realms.

God is known through

the unconscious, the conscious mind,

the heart, and the body.

 

Seek God where He may be found.

Everywhere that you seek Him,

every place that you look

is experienced only within you,

within one of the four realms.

 

To find God is easy.

Look within.

Explore.

Discover.

There is nothing “out-there”

that you do not already have

inside you.

 

Stop being alone.

Stop being cut off.

Rejoin, reunite.

 

Seek the form, and you will find it.

Walk the Way,

and it will become known to you.

The form, and the Way are one.

God is found within them

even as they are found within you.

 

This is the secret of Torah

and observance.

Its message is for everyone.

For everything can be found

within everyone.

So bring out the good God from within

and all will be divine and good.

 

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I gaze within, and see.

Another gazes within, and sees not.

Why is this so?

 

Some who gaze within

know how to see

in the darkness.

Those who can see

that which cannot be seen

can see the light

even when it is concealed

in darkness.

Those who gaze into the darkness

and only see darkness

never discover the concealed light.

What can be done?

 

Where I think

is where I am.

If I think darkness

then darkness is all I will see,

even in the light.

If I think light

then light is all I will see

even in the darkness.

 

What there is to be seen

is a choice made by me.

All things are out there,

and all things are within.

It is I who chooses

what of the All to see.

I chose to see light,

or I chose to see darkness.

Choice and perception

is entirely in my own hands.

 

When visions appear in my mind,

they may come from either

the light, or the darkness.

How can I know one from the other?

Follow the rules of wisdom and logic,

and surrender your heart

to the knowledge of the mind!

 

Visions requires that

the head lead the heart.

The heart feels, but the head knows.

The light of the mind

shines into the the heart.

For the light of the heart

is the light of the moon.

The light of the mind

is the light of the sun.

Never let the moon

outshine the sun.

This is the natural truth

for understanding visions

and the language of the realm within.

 

Know this, and do this,

and the sun's light of the mind

will shine within you

dispelling darkness,

and bringing clarity.

In clarity will you gaze

into the darkness

and see within it

the hidden light.

 

Learn this lesson well.
 

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Shabat is a day to enjoy delights.

Shabat is a day

to celebrate the good things in life.

Yet, everything has its time,

and everything has its place.

 

One should indeed

enjoy good things on Shabat,

but at the same time,

one must not indulge

beyond the point

where one causes oneself

more harm than good.

Indulgence is only enjoyable

when it contributes to one's well-being,

not when it distracts from one's health.

 

Enjoy rich, good foods on Shabat,

but do not overeat.

Doing what is right is one thing,

doing too much of what is right

does not necessarily add up

to more right being done.

Everything has to be

in appropriate moderation,

even what we indulge in on Shabat.

 

There is no good in indulging

when one needs to be moderate.

One who is unhealthy, overweight,

and in serious need of weight loss

should not over-indulge

in the goodness of Shabat,

using the excuse of the Shabat

for behavior that, for such a one,

is dangerous, and thus forbidden.

 

Shabat is a day of freedom, true,

but it is also a day of responsibilities.

One cannot circumvent one's responsibilities

and use Shabat to justify that

which should not be done.
 

Yes, one should indulge and enjoy

all good things on the Shabat,

but all indulgences must be with moderation.

All indulgences must be with wisdom.

All indulgences must be with responsibility.

One who acts without said moderation,

and without wisdom and responsibility

is indeed violating the laws of Shabat,

even when thinking that they are being observed.
 

Shabat is a day of rest for the soul.

It is not a day of service to the flesh.
 

We enjoy, yes!

We eat well, yes!

But at the same time,

we eat wisely, and responsibly.

If this were not a problem,

then I would not need to address it.

 

Shabat is rest,

and rest requires that there be balance.

On Shabat, balance all things.

Balance you sleep, and waking hours.

Balance your speech, and your silence.

Balance your eating, with necessary moderation.

The rules for these things

will be different for each individual,

and these individual rules

might change from time to time,

depending on one's many circumstances.

But do not use this fluidity

to rigidly deny and ignore

that which must not be denied,

and that which must not be ignored.
 

Safeguard the Shabat,

and its proper rest

will safeguard you!

Make the Shabat a true pleasure,

and not a gluttonous indulgence.

Only in this way

will true rest be ensured.

Enjoy the shalom, the balance, and the rest

that only true Shabat observance can bring.

 

Shabat Shalom.

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The war against ignorance

is a noble fight.

 

The war against arrogance

is a necessary fight.

 

One always thinks that war

is fought against the other,

because the other is wrong.

Yet, the true war is fought

inside oneself,

against an unseen enemy.

 

Before one wishes

to conduct a campaign against another,

one must first conduct

an inner campaign

against one's unseen, internal enemy.

 

Ignorance is always one's enemy.

Arrogance is always one's enemy.

When these two overtake

one's mind, and one's heart,

then one is defeated,

and yet goes through life

unaware of one's own defeated status.

 

Only one who looks within

can challenge the inner enemy of ignorance.

One one who opens one's heart,

and looks deeply within it

will discover therein hidden arrogance.

Only once discovered can arrogance

be rooted out of the human heart.

Otherwise arrogance dwells within

like a cancer, and like a poison

slowly eating away at one's heart

until nothing but evil and death remains.

 

Yes, it is righteous and noble

to fight the good fight

and to seek freedom, and justice.

But before one seeks

these precious things for others,

one must first discover them,

and set them free within oneself.
 

One who battles outside enemies

without first defeating

one's own internal enemies

is beaten, and defeated

even before he/she begins.

There is no escaping this universal truth.

 

Root out ignorance – learn!

Root out arrogance – humility!

Show respect to all, acknowledge your own faults.

 

Silence! Stillness!

Find calm first, then seek out your inner enemies.

Defeat them first, transform yourself,

and only then, once you are refined, and enlightened

can you successfully turn to the world

and bring to it refinement, and enlightenment.

 

Shine the light first in your own mind,

and your own heart.

Heal yourself – be healed,

and then you can become a healer.

 

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To everything there is two sides.

To everything there is three sides.

How can two be three?

Two can be three for those who refuse to see.

Three remains two for those willing to see.

 

To everything there is two sides.

There is the truth, and there is the false.

Yet, for many knowing the difference

between what is true

and what is false

leads only to more falsehood,

and not more truth.

 

For those enveloped in falsehoods,

two has become three, the three being:

your side, the other side, and the truth

which usually lies somewhere in-between.

 

Right, left, center,

where does the truth lie?

Where does falsehood lie?

How does one know

one thing from another

unless one explores carefully,

and thoroughly to ascertain the truth?
 

Every situation is different.

Every circumstance is unique.

That which is right may sometimes be wrong.

That which is wrong may sometimes be right.

Only one who investigates

with open eyes, open ears, and an open heart

will be able to ascertain the truth

and restore the three to two,

and restore balance,

as it should be.

 

Think about this

before you act – but do not fail to act

with wisdom!

 

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A new year, what will it bring?

There will be much of the same.

There will be that which is different.

In order to have a better year,

it requires that there be a better You!

Make yourself, and make your year better!

God is already with you.

Now it's time for you to be with yourself!

So, get busy! If not now, then when?

----------------------------------------------------

 

In the beginning all was one.

Even now all is still one,

but we fail to see the unity.

We create divisions where none truly exist.

We create chaos in the midst of order.

Who is to blame when confusion sets in?

The creators of chaos!

God created order. We create chaos.

Which world do you wish to live in?

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Only a fool turns a blind eye to wisdom.

Only a liar turns a blind eye to truth.

Where wisdom is found, truth is nearby.

Where truth is found, wisdom is nearby.

Do not be parochial!

Expand your borders, expand your vision,

and see how wondrous

the greater world around you really is.

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Numbers, zero through nine digits,

then we start the count again

with the combinations thereof.

But do numbers exist in nature,

or do they exist only within

the human mind?

There are only ten numbers

yet their combinations are infinite.

Ten numbers that reach into infinity.

This is the Kabbalistic secret

of what is called

Eser Sefirot Blimah.

This is the foundation of the universe,

and part of the paths to wondrous wisdom.

----------------------------------------------------

 

Settle down! Rest!

Remember the Sabbath,

and remember yourself!

Turn off the outside world,

at least for the day.

It will still be there, as good or bad as ever,

once your personal Sabbath is over.

There is no greater indulgence than rest.

There is no greater responsibility that rest.

Remember the Sabbath, it is only natural.

Follow the Way, and you won't get lost.

Listen within by quieting all the outside noise.

Rest must first be for the mind

before the body can benefit.

This is how Sabbath begins.

As we say, Shabat Shalom – Inner Peace!

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How can one expect to see

when one does not use one's eyes?

The eyes are placed in the head

for a very good reason.

The eyes are the window

to the mind/soul.

What one sees with one's eyes

needs to be understood

through the rational thought

that only the mind can provide.

The heart feels deeply

and is the seat of emotion.

But the heart has no eyes,

it cannot see outside of itself.

This is why seeing with one's heart

is the path of blindness,

a path that has led so many

down the corridors of pain.

Binah and Hokhma, Understanding and Wisdom

are the Mother and Father

of Tiferet, the Heart.

To honor one's parents properly

in fulfillment of the Commandment

is to submit one's Tiferet/Heart

to one's Mind/Soul (sefirotic parents).

Heed this,

and you will open your heart (Tiferet)

to understanding (Binah) and wisdom (Hokhma).

See with clarity –

stop denying obvious truths.

Heal thyself!

----------------------------------------------------

 

You say that the other guy is wrong!

But what makes him wrong?

Because what you believe says so?

What about what he believes?
What he believes says that you are wrong?

How shall we resolve this conflict?

Without dialogue there is no discussion.

Without discussion there is no resolution.

Without resolution there remains only conflict.

Is this what you really, really want?

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You believe in what you do,

but based on what?

Things may or may not make sense to you.

Just because you can't understand them

doesn't make them wrong.

Just because you don't like them

doesn't make them wrong.

Just because you disagree with them

doesn't make them wrong.

Right and wrong are often

in the eye of the beholder.

I can see this, why can't you?

----------------------------------------------------

 

My way is right,

there is nothing more to say!

If you agree with me,

then you are right.
If you disagree with me,

then you are wrong.

Whose words are these,

yours, or “the other guy,”

or both of you?

Walls of division

blind the eye from

the Secret of Unity

that we call God.

What a shame

if you cannot see it.

----------------------------------------------------

 

Deep or shallow.

Which are you?

Wise of foolish?

Need I ask?

Open or closed?

Better or worse?

We are the result

of the choices we make.

Life is simple.
Life is complicated.

We are the result

of the choices we make.

For those who seek answers

where do you look?

If you find what you're looking for

then good for you!

But if you do not find

what you seek,

maybe it's best to look elsewhere?

Why do you expect something new

from something old?

Rise above time,

rise above place.

Stay in the center,

equally close,

and equally distant from all.

This is the secret of

the great Ayn Sof,

and the Primordial Light.

----------------------------------------------------

 

It is a shame

to waste money

on things with no real value.

It is a shame

to waste time

on things with no real benefit.

It is a shame

to waste energy

on that which does you

no long-term good.

Yes, there is much

for which to be ashamed.

But does anyone care?
Does anyone listen?

Usually, the answer is no!

The reason why

most don't care about other people

is because each first

does not care about oneself.

Why else do you think

there is so much waste?

If you do not invest

in your education,

who else will?
If you do not invest

in wisdom

how do you expect

to acquire it?

No pain – no gain!

Make it happen,

or it won't happen.

Everything is in your hands.

Chose – invest wisely!

----------------------------------------------------

 

Long ago we were taught

“know how to respond (properly)

to the unbeliever.”

Responding is one thing.

Responding properly is another.

In debate or dialogue

the purpose is not to conclude

that one side or the other

is the only right one.

Rather, the purpose

is the exchange of ideas,

and information.

Sometimes, some ideas

and some information

can actually improve,

and reinforce

that which one already believes.

But without such an exchange,

how will one ever know?
How will one ever grow?

Respond to the unbeliever

not with scorn or insult,

but rather with questions,

and open inquiry.

Seek out new ideas

and new information.

Boldly go forward

where no one has gone before.

True, it might be a long trek.

But it is a worthwhile endeavor.

----------------------------------------------------

 

In order for one

to rest on the Sabbath

carrying a burden

was prohibited.

One cannot carry objects

no matter how big

or how small

in any public domain.

To define all these details

many laws were made.

They can be found

in the many books.

Yet, there is still

another kind of burden

that is forbidden to carry

be in on the Sabbath,

or at any other time.

This is the burden

of what we call

“old baggage.”

Again, what this is

is found described

in books of another kind.

Yet, aside from the books,

each individual knows

his/her own “old baggage.”

Observing Sabbath

means to rest.

But there must be rest

for the soul

before there can be rest

for the body.

So, in order to

properly observe the Sabbath,

one must first put down, and away

one's “old baggage.”

Sabbath is not ritual law.

Sabbath is healing for the soul.

Heal yourself!
Stop carrying old, and dead burdens.

Lighten your heart,

and watch your life soar

on eagle's wings.

This is the secret of

Shabat Shalom.

----------------------------------------------------

 

It is never easy doing the things

that we do not like to do.

Yet, we can never allow

our decisions to be based upon

what we like,

and what we do not like.

 

Likes are all well, and good.

But, what we like, or dislike

does not make the world go round.

What we do is important.

What needs to be done is important.

 

What happens to what needs to be done

if we chose not to do it

because we don't like it?

If we don't do what needs to be done

there is no guarantee

that it will get done.

And if a necessary thing

does not get done,

this can cause big problems.

And big problems become

much more unpleasant to deal with

than the original things

that we did not like to do,

and therefore did not do.

 

As a new week begins,

begin the work week

with a work ethic

that commits to doing

what needs to be done,

regardless of whether or not

one likes it, or does not like it.

 

Get the job done!

Get the job done right!
Then, take pride in yourself

for doing a job well done,

especially one that you did not

originally want to do.

 

This is how character is built.

This is how we shine Divine Light

into a dark world.

Be the light, shine brightly this week!

 

Shavuah tov!

----------------------------------------------------

 

There is nothing new under the sun.

The problems that we face today

are the same ones

that we faced yesterday,

and they are the same ones

that we will face tomorrow.

As long as we stay the same,

our problems will remain the same.

As long as we do not change

fate will dictate to us

that we encounter the same problems

over and over again.

We create our own problems.

As long as we do not change

we create, and recreate the same old problems.

No wonder why we go around in circles.

Moving forward requires change.

No change, no movement.

Is this really a surprise?

The outer world hangs upon

our inner worlds.

What we do inside our own selves,

inside our minds, our hearts, and our souls

will define for us

what we do, and how we behave

in the outside world surrounding us.

The greatest prison is the one

that we create for ourselves.

The greatest freedom is the one

that we each embrace inside ourselves.

Change is the key to

breaking a destructive cycle.

Who is willing to stop

walking around in circles,

and to take the first step forward?

Such a one brings salvation to the world.

----------------------------------------------------

 

Many years ago

a wise man wrote,
“show me a smooth operation,

and I'll show you a cover-up.

Real boats rock!”

How true! How true!

Today, so many want so much

to just go smoothly, without ripples.

Today, so many just want

things to be simply black and white,

without infinite shades of gray in between.

Today, so many just want

to be told what to believe,

and not have to figure out

things for oneself!

So many today are lazy.

So many today are sheep.

And we all know where sheep end up.

Not everyone is a vegetarian!

 

We are taught to be

courageous like the leopard,

and strong like the lion!

Yet, today, who has the courage to think?

Who today has the strength

to stand up to the numbing crowd

and say the terrible truth:
I think for myself!

I draw my own conclusions!

 

Rock the boat.

Feel the real waves of real life.

Walk the wondrous path

of exploration and discovery

that takes one out of intellectual darkness

and into sublime truth.

Take the chance!

Be the lion! Roar!

Just don't be a pussycat.

The roar of the pussycat

is not roar, at all.

----------------------------------------------------

 

Shabat means “to rest.”

Shalom means “completion,” and “peace.”
Complete peace comes through rest.

This is Shabat Shalom.

 

One must remember the Shabat

in order to observe it properly.

One must observe the Shabat

in order to remember it properly.

Remembrance and observance

go hand-in-hand.

Like bride and groom,

they are united together

in passionate embrace.

 

Work is prohibited on Shabat.

But what is work?

Who decides what is,

and what is not prohibited?

Torah is not in Heaven,

so Heaven does not decide.

What is written in the Word

needs to be understood

within the context

of the Word that is spoken

but often not written.

One is the soul,

the other is the body.

Without the soul

the body is not alive.

Without the Oral Torah,

the Written Torah

has no soul.

The work that is prohibited

is the work that needs

to be prohibited.

 

Not all things that are said

to be prohibited

are indeed prohibited.

To know one thing

from another,

one must study both

the Written Word,

and the Oral words.

Together, body and soul

make a living soul.

And every soul needs

complete rest,

on its day – Shabat,

in its own way – Halakha.

 

Go the natural way,

observe the natural Shabat

This is the Way of Halakha,

the Way that unites body and soul,

the way that unites Heaven and Earth.

Know complete rest.

Restore the soul in peace.

Do the right things

in the right way,

and then all that is right with the world

will fall into your lap,

and give you the Shalom of the Shabat.

So, Shabat Shalom!

----------------------------------------------------

 

 

Join our KosherTorah School.  There are three levels of supporting our school:

 

Level 1 - $10.00
* At this level individuals will receive my Daily Thoughts, and other previously free essays.

* At this level they will also receive an invitation to the Monday night class (Isaiah only),

  Supporters at this level are not eligible to receive recordings of the classes or class hand-outs.

    Invitations will be for live class only, there will be no recordings, or make-ups for missed classes.

 

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* At this level individuals will receive my Daily Thoughts, and other previously free essays.

*  Access to the Monday night class (Isaiah only), and access to the Wednesday night class

    Supporters at this level are not eligible to receive recordings of the classes or class hand-outs.

    Invitations will be for live class only, there will be no recordings, or make-ups for missed classes.

 

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* At this level individuals will receive my Daily Thoughts, and other previously free essays.

* Access to the Monday night class (both), and access to the Wednesday night class.

*  Recordings of said classes. This way, you will never miss a class.

* Personal access to me, to call, or email me questions about their studies,

                                                   or to briefly discuss other personal matters.

* 30% discount on all items in our Online Store.

-----------------------------------------------------------

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I am able to be here for you because you are here for me.

Your monthly contribution is the "gasoline" in the KosherTorah School "engine.

 

The KosherTorah School offers educational opportunities not available anywhere else.

Invest in yourselves!
How much more blunt can I be?
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Here is what you need to do...

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please call me directly at 423-253-3555
between the hours of 4 - 6 p.m. Monday - Thursday.

At that time, I will take your personal details and payment information.

I'll see ya'all online.

Thank you all, again. Muchas Gracias!

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